UPAL Project 1 - COHORT VI - Group 2: Floralba, Charles, Keith, and Dana

Floralba: Growth

I selected the prompt Growth because we all need to have a Growth mindset for our classrooms, schools, community and ourselves. Continuously, we have to develop our abilities through hard work, dedication, collaboration and support. My picture represent growth, with the natural landscape, the waterfall growing bigger and bigger as water flows from the mountain. In the corner is the sun, providing it the energy needed for the cycle of life to continue. The rocks show the component of the non-living organisms  that form part of our environment.

As a teacher, and future school leader, working in this small project, I want leaders to understand that we are are creative in our own way. We see the world different, and a landscape is still a landscape regardless how different it might look.

To foster children’s creativity, the initial step is to let them create. Children need time to move away from the common to the uncommon, they need to experience observation, and with a small guidance they can create great pieces of art.

As a school principal, we need to be creative in solving problems. When something does not work, we need to find another way around to make it work. Taking a problem and setting it aside is not the solution, finding creative ways, like we did to finish the project without getting another piece of paper is the way to go.

Charles: Spontaneous

I chose spontaneous as my prompt because i feel that art comes from ideas that may erupt in the moment. It’s about taking risk in that particular instance.

I put spontaneous in the center of the arrangement flowers because of how flower bloom. They just burst out into beautiful colors.

Principals need to understand that all students have a creative side. But not all of them are stimulated in the same manner. Some take more time and some may need more prompts.

The experience that i have gained from this project is one of patience. I started out frustrated but i was continuously encouraged by my teammates.  The lesson learned was on of resiliency.

Keith: Passion

My square has the word Passion in a eye grabbing font that is supposed to pop to the viewer.  I did this because I felt that it should show “sizzle” and I wanted to evoke a sense of character and personification of that concept.   The flower theme is the groups overall arching theme that ties into the creativity prompt.  I believe passion is the cornerstone to creativity.  Teachers and administrators tend to lack this trait and the students have a great detection for this (in my experience regardless of age).  When passion is absent, creativity and the desire to feel the need to be so, is absent as well.  I don't believe it's the most crucial “ingredient” but a necessary one for creativity to become infectious and reach more of the intended audience.  There will be creative “types” regardless of the school climate.  As far as school leaders go, it’s ok that your ideas get changed for the better through a creative process.  We need to ask ourselves is it change we can accept, respect and move forward with?

Dana: Originality

My picture has a giant O in the center that is purple, my favorite color, then the rest of the word originality in the middle surrounded by small circles colored in yellow to resemble a sunflower.   Then I added multi-colored petals to show creativity.  I created leaves that were outlined and colored in gray to be a bland background and make the originality of the flower POP!  I selected the prompt Originality because when we are showing our fun and creative sides we have to be original.  Principals need to foster creativity, nourish it, and develop it because that is how we enrich children’s lives.  In order to empower children we have to create an environment where creativity can happen.  Through this experience I learned how important it is to listen to others and empower all ideas and be creative and different in your approaches to how to solve a problem.  Principals need to think outside the box to solve daily problems.  They also need to collaborate with others to solve those problems.

Group Vision Statement

Through Creativity we Connect and Balance our passion, originality, and our ability to be spontaneous to create growth!